Selective Test Week — what to bring and how to prepare
- The official NSW checklist
- The week before, night before, morning of
- What if something goes wrong
Selective Guide — Start Here
Updated:
Reading time: 3–4 minutes
A single place to learn the essentials: what the selective test actually tests, how results are reported, how writing fits in, how to plan your months, and how to structure each week.
Six core areas
Important selective test dates
- Application open/close dates
- Test dates & make-up test
- Results & school choice deadlines
The selective high schools in NSW
- What schools offer selective placement in NSW
- Fully selective, partially selective and agricultural schools
- School choices, travel and fit
Gain a deep understanding of all the questions
- Reading • Thinking Skills • Mathematical Reasoning • Writing
- What each section really tests
- Patterns, timing cues, practice flow
Know what you're getting into — understand selective scoring
- Performance report bands
- Scaled results (not raw %)
- What affects offers
Develop an overall plan
- Pick a timeline track
- Balance all four test sections
- When to use each test type
Build a detailed weekly plan
- Study space & devices
- Weekly loop (mini → section → writing → full)
- Review process that actually sticks
See how selective preparation works here
- Online practice across all four sections
- Writing submitted and marked
- Weekly plans built from what your child gets wrong
Featured from the blog
From OC Reading to Selective Reading: What Actually Changes
Longer texts, harder inference, and less time to do it in.
OC vs Selective Test: What Changes After Year 4?
What carries over from OC preparation — and what selective adds.
From OC Maths to Selective Maths: What Actually Changes
More steps per question, and far less room for guessing.